The Young Man's Return Chapter Four: The Official Seal Stolen

On a snowy, wind-swept street, an official sedan chair stood halted along the road. In contrast, Magistrate Li of Beigu City walked alongside the assistant magistrate, a constable holding an umbrella over them to shield against the biting cold and falling snow.

“So cold... ah,” Li murmured, his hands tucked deep into his sleeves and clasped tightly against his chest. His nose was reddened by the chill, and he panted heavily. Normally, he traveled by official carriage or horse-drawn cart; now, having walked halfway from the Four Directions Inn to the county office, his waist ached, his legs ached—it was utterly exhausting.

Finally catching up to the sedan chair, he was too weary to speak, needing to steady himself against it while gasping for breath.

Yiheng pulled back the curtain of the sedan chair, revealing half his face. “Magistrate, after this journey, do you feel refreshed?”

“Almost... dead tired. How could I feel refreshed!” Li replied, his breath still ragged.

“I’ll ask you a question. If your answer satisfies me, I’ll let you ride in the sedan chair. How about that?”

“Go ahead. What’s the question?”

“I heard from the vagrants who dug up my master’s grave that a gray-robed man wearing a bamboo hat was the mastermind behind it. This person took the jade brush and my master’s corpse out of the coffin. Is that true?”

Upon hearing this, Li turned his face slightly away, glancing to the side, and said firmly, “Indeed, that is so. When I received the news of your master’s grave being disturbed, several days had already passed. I hurried out of the city to inspect the valley myself and learned the truth from those vagrants’ mouths.”

“My dear brother’s coffin was robbed, and his body stolen by that thief. I ordered the constables to search the entire city for the culprit, but after days of searching, we found no trace and could not retrieve my brother’s remains.”

At this, he pressed his sleeve to his face, choking back tears. He dabbed the corner of his eyes with saliva, then turned back to the sedan chair window and wept aloud, murmuring, “My brother was a man of harmony, always helping others, chivalrous, and twice helped me solve cases and catch criminals. Yet he died so young, felled by some evil spirit. Now the thief has stolen his body, denying him a proper burial. I am powerless! Unable to catch the thief or recover his remains. How I hate this!”

His lament was so pitiful that even the assistant magistrate, who knew the truth, felt his eyes redden and his voice catch.

Yiheng frowned slightly, fell silent for a moment, then said, “Come into the sedan chair. It’s far too cold out here.”

“All right! If I keep walking, I fear I’ll catch a chill,” Li nodded, choking back his sobs as he stepped around the sedan chair carriers and entered, taking a seat beside Yiheng.

“Let’s move!” the assistant magistrate called, wiping away tears.

“Magistrate, one more question. How did the thief know the jade brush was inside my master’s coffin?” Yiheng stared intently into Li’s eyes, pressing the matter.

“You see, when my master was buried, I personally placed that jade brush, some silver coins, and his favorite books and items into the coffin. Only a few people knew about it then: you, the teahouse owner, the old blacksmith, and the painter from the calligraphy shop.”

“I’ve pondered endlessly since arriving in town. How did the thief discover the jade brush? Could someone among you have leaked the secret? Or perhaps the thief is one of you, crying ‘thief’ to cover their own guilt!”

Suddenly, Li let out a loud, foul-smelling fart. Embarrassed, he pinched his nose, sweat beading on his forehead, and hurriedly defended himself.

“You can’t suspect me or think I’m the thief. I have plenty of jade brushes at home and have no interest in that one. Nor can you suspect them—they were closest to your master in life. They wouldn’t betray him or steal from his coffin.”

Fanning the air with his hand, he speculated, “Maybe the thief learned of the jade brush by other means. Or perhaps the thief saw your master using it before death, then, eager to find it after the burial, pried open the coffin. That’s quite possible.”

Yiheng nodded. “By your reasoning, it’s possible. The teahouse owner and others certainly wouldn’t be thieves or spread such news. Perhaps, as you say, the thief had seen the jade brush before and acted after your master’s death.”

Li released his nose, exhaled deeply, and said, “That must be it.”

“What use does the thief have for the jade brush? And why steal the corpse as well?” Yiheng pressed on, puzzled. The jade brush he had once handled seemed merely a finely carved object.

“I don’t know! If I did, I wouldn’t have come all this way through snow and wind to seek help from that little drunkard at the inn.”

Yiheng glanced at Li’s sweating forehead. “Strange, why are you so covered in sweat?”

Li quickly took a handkerchief from his robe and wiped his brow. “Probably from holding in that fart!”

“Hmph! I have to say, it really stinks,” Yiheng snorted, turning away to open the sedan chair windows and air it out.

“Must’ve eaten something bad this morning,” Li chuckled awkwardly, continuing to wipe his sweat but inwardly relieved he had finessed his way out of further questioning with that well-timed fart. Otherwise, he feared he’d have been caught in a lie.

Since this boy had returned, Li thought rather than asking others for help, better to have him find the official seal.

This youth had been gifted since childhood, astute and talented. He once assisted Li’s master in solving many cold cases and had earned some renown around Beigu City.

In fact, Li had written to him before, hoping he would return to seek the grave robbers. Now that his own official seal had been stolen, he hoped this young man would recover it.

The matter began seven days ago, when Li discovered the official seal in a hidden compartment of his study missing.

He investigated everyone at the county office, searched as if digging three feet into the earth, nearly turning Beigu City upside down. He even imprisoned several petty thieves and ruffians but found no sign of the seal.

Without it, official documents couldn’t be stamped, and the seal could be misused for illegal deeds.

If the governor Wu, who bore a grudge against him, learned of this, Li’s position would be precarious—at best dismissed, at worst executed.

Just today, the assistant magistrate mentioned that three days ago a strange man had come to the Four Directions Inn, drinking contests lasting three days without intoxication.

They thought he might be an immortal cultivator and went in plain clothes to seek his help in retrieving the seal.

But it was all in vain—the man turned out to be a thief and a drunkard.

Clearing his throat, Li said, “Nephew, I have a matter to ask your help with.”

“What is it?” Yiheng asked without looking back, gazing at the shops along the long street.

Li cautiously said, “My official seal was stolen some time ago. Perhaps the same person who took your master’s jade brush is involved.”

“So you want me to find your seal?” Yiheng turned to face him.

“Yes. If you recover the seal, and maybe the jade brush and your master’s body as well, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Li looked at Yiheng with hopeful joy.

But the boy simply replied, “I’m busy.”

Li’s hopes were dashed.

At that moment, the sedan chair came to a stop.

Outside, the assistant magistrate called, “Magistrate, we’ve arrived at the county office.”

Yiheng bent and stepped through the door curtain, walking out.

“Nephew, don’t be so quick to refuse. Think it over,” Li hurried from the sedan chair but unexpectedly banged his head hard on the chair’s crossbeam. A sharp pain shot through his skull, causing his eyes to squint and tears to brim.

He instinctively covered his head, rubbing gently to soothe the ache.

“Ah… it hurts terribly,” he groaned.

Two guards by the county office gate, seeing the sedan chair arrive and a black-clad youth emerge, were slightly surprised. Upon recognizing him, they thought: so he has returned.

Three years ago, after hearing this youth’s master was slain by an evil spirit, he left the valley alone to wander. Now, three years later, he lived on, more mysterious than ever, his long sword and bow slung over his shoulder radiating a strong martial aura.

Yiheng looked up at the sign above the gate: “Beigu County Office,” his eyes reflecting a trace of nostalgia. “Three years have passed, things have changed, but the county office remains the same.”

With the guards watching, he entered the county office.

“Nephew, wait for me!” Li called out, rushing through the gate to catch up.

Passing the guards, the assistant magistrate removed his new belt, tore an old one from a guard without waiting for consent, and exchanged it with the new belt.

He tried on the old belt, finding it secure, then patted the guard on the shoulder. “The magistrate has business today—don’t let any unruly peasants disturb him.”

The guard replied, “Understood, assistant magistrate.”